Horse s-hoof projector



UNIT-D STATES fPATENTI OFFICE.

WILLIAM OI-IARLS SHERMAN, OF SIDNEY, NEW YORK.

HoRsEs-HooF PROTECTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,961 dated October6,1896. Application flied November 29,1895. aratro. 570,518. (No motti.)

To all whom t may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CHARLES SHERMAN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Sidney, in the county of Delaware and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Horses-Hoof Protector, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to an improvement in devices for protectinghorses7 hoofs, and has for its object to provide a practical andefiicient construction of protector which is adapted to be quickly andeasily applied to and removed from a hoof, and which, when in position,will effectually exclude snow and ice and prevent the horses feet fromballing with snow, dto., thus preventing injury to the animal andenabling him to better perform his work.

A further object of the invention is to construct such protector in amanner that will adapt it to be self-retaining, and to provide inconnection therewith a spring-supported heel-cushion which willpreventthe horse from injuring himself by overreaching and at the same timeassist in holding the other portion which covers the frog againstdisplacement.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the followingdescription.

In order to accomplish the objects above mentioned, the inventionconsists in certain novel features and details of construction andarrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in thedrawings, and finally embodied in the claims. l

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of animproved hoof-protector constructed in accordance with this invention.Fig. 2 is a vertical section through a horses hoof, showing theprotecting device applied thereto, the latter also being shown insection. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the device applied. Fig. 4 is arear elevation of the same.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in theseveral figures of the drawings.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, l designates the main body ofthe protector, which consists of a vulcanized rubber pad of a thicknessabout equal to or slightly less than the thickness of an ordinaryhorseshoe.

The surrounding edge of this rubber pad is beveled or chamfered off tocorrespond with the beveled inner edge of a horseshoe, and said pad ismade to correspond in contour to the inside of the shoe to which saidpad is to befitted. j

2 designates a toe-plate,which is preferably formed from Sheetsteel,made substantially in semicircular or crescent shape and riveted orotherwise secured to the inner face of the pad, adjacent to andprojecting slightly beyond the toe portion thereof, said plate beingadapted to rest above the toe of the shoe and between the upper surfacethereof and the sole of the hoof, as illustrated in the sectionalview'in the drawings, thereby serving to effectually prevent thedownward escape of the pad 1. e

vThe rear or heel portion of the pad l is eX- tended, as indicated Vat3, to receive a heelcushion 4. This heel-cushion consists of acrescent-shaped piece' of sheet-steel bent into substantiallysemicircular shape and riveted or otherwise secured to the extension 3ofthe main pad. This steel plate is embedded in rubber for the purposeof preventing the same from rusting7 the rubber also serving above andengage the heel ends of the horseshoe when in position, thereby servingto uphold the device at its heel portion and prevent displacement atthis point. Thus the protecting-partis upheld both at its heel and toeportions. v

In order to insure the retention of the device upon the horses foot, andto prevent any possibility of the same becoming disengaged and slippingtherefrom, a pair of steel bands 5 are secured, one to each end of theheel-cushion, as illustrated in the drawings, said plates being ofsufficient length to eX- tend forwardly over and around the horses hoof.v One of said bands is provided atvits forward end with a perforatedplate, and the end of the other band carries a clip provided with aswinging catch-finger, which is adapted IOO to be passed through any oneof the perforations in the opposing plate and to be folded upon thesaine, whereby the ends of the bands are engaged and held with relationto each other. This band effectually prevents the heel-cushion fromyielding backwardly and causes the same to press snugly beneath thefetloclr. By reason of the presence of this heel-cushion all danger ofthe horse injuring himself by overreaching is obviated.

6 designates what may be termed an insole/which may be made from cork orany other light waterproof material,said insole being provided with aV-shaped notch or recess which is adapted to receive the frog, saidinsole being designed to fill the cavities upon either side of said frogand between the same and the inner edges of the shoe. This insole alsoserves as an effective means for holding the pad l in position and maybe secured to the latter by means of screws, rivets, or other suitablefastening devices. The toeplate 2 is interposed between the insole 6 andthe main body l of the pad, as shown in Figs. l and 2.

The protecting-pad above described is very simple in construction,inexpensive in manufacture, and effective in operation. It edectuallyexcludes snow and ice from a horses foot and prevents the same fromaccumulating around the frog and interfering with the work of theanimal.

In applying the device the toe-plate is' introduced above the toe of theshoe and the heel-cushion deiiected rearwardly sufficiently to enablethe forward]y-projecting ends of the spring-steel plate thereof to passby the heel ends of the shoe, after which the heelcushion is pressedsnugly against the ankle and beneath the fetlock and the steel bandshooked around the hoof in the manner indicated in the drawings.

It will be apparent that changes in the form, proportion, and minordetails of construction may be resorted to without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention. Y

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent, is-

l. A hoof pad or protector, adapted to be detachably applied to a horseshoof when shod, the same having a contour corresponding substantially tothe interior curvature of the shoe, an insole secured to the innersurface thereof and formed to accommodate the frog of the foot, aforwardly-projecting toeplate interposed between the -tnain body of thepad and the'insole and adapted to be removably inserted above the toe ofthe shoe, and means for supporting the heel ofthe pad with relation tothe hoof, substantially as specified.

2. A hoof pad or protector adapted to be detachably secured to a horseshoof when shod, the same comprising a main body portion having a contourcorresponding substantially to the interior curvature of the shoe, a.toe-plate secured to the inner surface thereof and adapted to engageover the toe of the shoe, and an elastic heel-cushion bent to embracethe rear portion of the hoof and constituting a heel extension of thepad, the said heel-cushion being provided with forwardlyprojecting endportions which are adapted to` rest above and engage the heel ends ofthe horseshoe, substantially as described.

3. In a hoof pad or protector, the pad proper adapted to be arrangedbeneath the sole of the foot and conforming in contour to the insidedimensions of the horseshoe to which the same is applied, in combinationwith a toe-plate secured to the inner face of said pad and projectingslightly beyond the toe of the pad and adapted to engage above the toeof the shoe, a heel-cushion riveted or otherwise secured to a heelextension of said pad and provided with a backing or reinforcing plateof sheet metal bent into substantially semicircular form and having itsopposite edges projecting forward and adapted to engage above the heelextremities of the shoe, and a clamping-band having its ends secured tosaid heel-cushion and passing around the hoof, substantially in themanner and for the purpose specified.

4. A pad or protector adapted to be detachably fitted to a horses hoof,when shod, the said pad or protector comprising a forwardly-proj ectingtoe-plate adapted to en gage over the toe of the shoe, and the elasticheel portion having the forwardly-projecting ends which embrace the hoofon opposite sides and are adapted to engage over the heel ends of theshoe, substantially as described.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM CHARLES SHERMAN.

Witnesses:

ScoTT G. FALLS, FLOYD GUY MARTIN.

ICO

